Temperature control container



Dec. 7, 1937. J. 1.. FINCH ET AL 2,101,135

TEMPERATURE CONTROL CONTAINER Filed Aug. 15, 1935 INVENTORS z JAMES L. FINCH LLO D YOUNG 6 BY ATi'QRNEY Patented Dec. 7, 1937- UNITED STATES TEMPERATURE CONTROL CONTAINER James L. Finch, Patchogue, and Lloyd L. Young,

Rocky Point, N. Y., assignors to Radio Cor poration of ware America, a corporation of Dela- Application August 15, 1935, SerialNo. 36,342

6 Claims.

i'nis invention relates to a new and novel method of enclosing a rectifier tube of the mercury vapor type within a container.

An object of this invention is to provide a 10 stat and a ring-like heating unit surrounding the lower portion of the. rectifier tube to maintain a desired heating temperature within the container. Also, provision has been made for allowing the entrance of cooling air by auto- 15 matically opening and closing the top of the con tainer. i

This invention is a further improvement over a similar device disclosed by George L. Usselman in his copending application filed June 29, 1935,

20 Serial No. 29,021, wherein it was found necessary for the successful operation of rectifier tubes,

particularly the mercury vapor type, to maintain the temperature so that it does not drop lower than 59 Fahrenheit,or rise higher than 120 25 Fahrenheit, particularly when such rectifier tubes are used in remotely located radio transmitting stations.

A feature of this invention is a compact arrangement surrounding the rectifier tube by a 30 heating unit which has associated therewith a snap switch and a thermostat in the form of flexible metallic bellows, the thermostat being linked to the snap switch for controlling the heating unit, and also for opening the cover of the con-' tainer when it is desired to lower the temperature within the container.

This invention will be more completely understood by referring to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a cross-section of the container; and

Fig. 2 is a detailed arrangement of the linkage system.

Referring now to Fig. 1, l indicates the container which is preferably made of a glass cylinderand surrounds the mercury rectifier tube 2 whose temperature is to be controlled. Near the lower end of the cylinder is placed a heating unit 3 which is in the form of a ring concentrically arranged just above the base 4 of the rectifier '50 tube. Connection is made to the heating unit 3 by a terminal 5 which is connected to the next terminal current source 6. Asecond terminal I is located in the wall of the cylinder I just above the terminal 5 to which is fastened on the outside wall a micro-contact snap switch 8. Connovel. arrangement within the container of a thermo-" nected to the snap switch 8 is a lead [0 which completes the seriesconnection of the heating unit 3.

The anode connection I I of the rectifier tube 2 is completed by a flexible lead l2 which is taken through the side wall of the container by a terminal stud l3. The lower portion of the casing I is provided with a metallic end member [4' which provides the support for the tube socket l5. Directly above the anode II is a thermostat expanding disc bellows I6 which is a pancakeshaped aifair made of thin corrugated brass and filled with a gas such as ethyl chloride which liquefles within the temperature range that the device is intended to operate. This thermostat is mounted on the lid 2| of the container l and operates pivoted link member l8 to which is fastened a link l9 arranged to operate the snap switch 8. One end of member l9 stops movement after operating the lever of switch 8 at a pivot point 9 located on the end of the snap switch operating lever. The upper portion of the container is provided with a cover 2| which is swung on hinge 22 at a pivot point 23, the pivot 23 being supported from the outside of the casing by a member 24.

A short pivot member 25 is secured to the cover 2| and arranged with the thermostat element Hi to cause the cover to rise to a position indicated bythe dash-lines 26 to allow circulation of air through the cylinderin order that the tube will not become overheated should the temperature rise above the desired upper range of the temperature.

In the operation of this device, as shown by Fig. 2, heat is supplied by the heating unit 3 until the temperature rises sufliciently to cause the bellows IE to expand due to evaporation of the liquefied gas. The expansion of the bellows causes member I 8 to move and through the medium of member I9 operates the snap switch 8 opening the circuit of the heating unit. In case the heat generated by the tube 2 in its operation should increase the temperature within the cylinder to a higher value than is required or that which is desirable for successful operation of the tube, then member l9--continues to move further and acts to permit cooling air to enter the container by having the lower end of member l9 pivot at point 9, and when the thermostat bellows expands still further, the linkage mechanism causes the lid to rise to a position indicated by the dash-lines 26. This allows circulation of air through the cylinder and thus prevents the rectifier tube from becoming overheated.

When the temperature drops below the desired temperature range, the bellows I6 collapses to its smallest dimension. Under these conditions the snap switch 8 is closed and heat is supplied by means of the heating unit 3.

Although only one embodiment is shown, it is to be distinctly understood that this invention is not limited to this embodiment, but such limitations as are clearly imposed by the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. A temperature controlled container for enclosing a rectifier tube comprising a container,-a cover for said container a thermostat in the form of flexible bellows within said container and secured to said cover, a heating unit surrounding said rectifier tube, -a switch mounted on the outside of said container which is connected to said heating unit, and means for regulating heat within said container by a linkage system connected to said switch and actuated by said thermostat to disconnect the heating current and to open said cover upon an increase of temperature within said container.

2. A temperature controlled container for enclosing a rectifier tube comprising a container, a cover for said container, a thermostat in the form of flexible bellows within said container and secured to said cover, an electrical heating unit adjacent said'rectifier tube and means for regulating heat within said container by a snap switch which is supported by being connected to the wall of said container and actuated by a linkage system connected to said thermostat to disconnect the heating current and to open said cover upon an increase of temperature within said-container.

3. A temperature controlled container for enclosing a rectifier tube comprising a container having a pivoted lid portion to provide the circulation of cooling air around said rectifier tube, a thermostat secured to said lid portion and located within said container, a link member adjacent said thermostat and pivoted at one end of said lid, a heating unit within said container to provide heating means therefor, a switch connected to said heating unit, said link member arranged to operate said switch by being actuated by the thermostat upon a change of temperature within said container.

4. A temperature controlled container for enclosing a rectifier tube comprising a cylindrical container having a pivoted lid portion to provide the circulation of cooling air around said rectifier tube, a thermostat secured to said lid portion and located within said container, a link member adjacent said thermostat and pivoted at one end of said lid, a ring-like heating unit within said container to provide heating means therefor, and a switch connected to said heating unit, said link member arranged to operate said switch by being actuated by the thermostat upon a change of temperature within said container.

5. A temperature controlled container for enclosing a rectifier tube comprising a container having a pivoted lid portion to provide the circulation of cooling air around said rectifier'tube, a thermostat secured to said lid portion and located within said container, a link member adjacent said thermostat and pivoted at one end of said lid, a heating unit within said container to provide heating means therefor, and a switch supported on the outside wall of said container and electrically connected to said heating unit, said link member arranged to operate said switch by being actuated by the thermostat upon a change of temperature within said container.

6. A temperature controlled container for enclosing a rectifier tube comprising acylindrical glass container open at the lower end thereof, the upper end of said container being provided with a lid portion to provide the circulation of cooling air around said rectifier tube, a support base for said rectifier tube secured to the lower portion of said container, a thermostat secured to said lid portion and located within said container, a link member adjacent said thermostat 

